Why is it I feel less guilty when I eat cookies that are full of healthy ingredients like carrots, oats and raisins?

This Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe is a great way to sneak some fruit and veggies into your kids' diets too!

These cakey and tender carrot cake cookies are versatile too.

You can serve them plain, swirl them with cream cheese frosting.

Or take two carrot cake cookies and sandwich them together between a layer of cream cheese icing for an inside-out carrot cake!

Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe

This dough needs to be chilled until firm, about 1 hour, before baking.

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups oats, uncooked (quick or old-fashioned)

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

In a medium bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices until well blended; set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add the egg and vanilla and continue beating until smooth and well blended.

Scrape down the bowl again to make sure everything is well combined.

With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture just until it is incorporated.

Stir in the oats, carrots, raisins, and nuts (if using).

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Bake for about 13 to 15 minutes or just until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and crisp and the centers are set and no longer look like raw dough.

Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on baking sheet for a couple of minutes then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Swirl cookie tops with Cream Cheese frosting. Or to make Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies, spread about 2 teaspoons frosting on the flat side of half the cookies and sandwich together with remaining cookies.